Modular Model Railroads

This month’s feature is the Spokane International Railway (SIRy) submitted by Mike Pagano, the layout’s builder and a contributing author to N Scale Railroading magazine. The SIRy is an N-scale, lightweight, portable layout consisting of 4 sections with two separate track loops depicting the SIRy near Sandpoint in the Idaho panhandle. The portable layout is available for exhibitions and is headquartered out of Bellingham, Washington.  Photos and some text by Mike Pagano.

Layout Name: Spokane International Railway 

Famous for: Mike’s prototype signature scene on the SIRy is the Sand Creek Trestle, which was pictured on the cover of the July/Aug 2007 issue of N Scale Railroading. The Jan/Feb 2008 issue of N Scale Railroading describes how the project was conceived, including fitting the 650 foot scale trestle onto a portable layout. On the SIRy website, you can compare Mike’s efforts, as featured on the front cover of N Scale Railroading, with the prototype photo by Laurence Shawver in the 1950’s. It was important to Mike to have a historical railroad background for his project railroad and to also have a signature scene that would give the layout an identity. Read the rest of this entry »

Free-mo is a similar to Fremo, but a different North American standard for single track modular railroading. Free-mo meets generally part of a larger exhibition with other scales and open to the public for viewing.

The most recently found Free-mo photo galleries are listed first:

Three photo galleries of the August 1-2, 2009 regional Free-mo setup at the San Bernadino, Calif. depot by Brian Kreimendahl, Rob Forrstrom, and Dan Risdon.

Brian Kreimendahl’s and Perry Lambert’s photo galleries of the April 2009 Free-me photos from Winslow, AZ are no online.

Photos of the March 2008 RITMRC, Free-mo setup on the RITMRC website, with more photos by “Kruppinator”.

Bob Schrempp’s pics of the March 2008 Free-mo SLOBarn setup at Arroyo Grande, CA and  September 2007 Free-mo setup in Aptos, California. Read the rest of this entry »

Fremo is a European standard for single track modular railroading.  The meets are usually a private meeting for Fremo members and generally exclude the general public.  Fremo members pay the exhibition hall costs to exhibit and run their modules.

The most recently found Fremo photo galleries are listed first:

 Sfra photo album, GMO-Frisco photo album and GMO-Frisco YouTube video from the Fremo HO-USA Southwest Division Weekend in Mutschelbach, Germany on May 21-24, 2009

Harald Brosch has two photo galleries from the May 2009 Fremo convention in Perleberg Germany, May 22 photos and the May 23 photos.

Harald Brosch’s has two new photo albums  Ths first is of the Jan. 2008 Fremo meet, Braunschweig, Germany, with additional photos by Thomas and Joerg.  The second is the Feb. 2008 Fremo meet in Hamburg, Germany, with additional photos by Thorsten.

Klaus Rilling has photo albums of the Oct. 2007 Fremo in Prague and the Frankfurt 2007 Fremo meet. Klaus’ site is in German only. Read the rest of this entry »

This month’s feature is the St. Alban’s Railroad Fellowship (StARR) submitted by Frank Martin, StARR’s Operations Manager.  The StARR is a large HO scale layout includes both 2 and 4 track NMRA modules with strong point-to-point operations, and in the future, will include Free-Mo modules.  The StARR is located in the suburbs west of Philadelphia.

Club Name: St. Alban’s Railroad Fellowship

Famous for:  The club is most proud of Albanwood Steel.  There is no particular prototype but its basic layout and operations were designed by our regional “steel mill expert”, Mike Rabbitt.  It is a 24-foot module in three 8-foot sections with a blast furnace, electric furnace, soaking pit, rolling mill, and administration building.  Most of the buildings are from the Walther’s cornerstone series.  During an operating session, the steel mill is served by three trains: a coke/limestone train, an ore train, and a mixed commodities train; and, two “pours” of the blast furnace are simulated during each operating session.

Description:  Fellowship includes railfans and model railroaders from all walks of life.  While individual interests and skills vary widely, the railroads that helped build our nation are the common bond.  To satisfy varied interests, the program includes clinics, presentations, videos, socializing, trips, and model railroading.  While affiliated with St. Alban’s Church, the fellowship is a non-sectarian group of railfans and model railroaders mostly in the western suburbs of Philadelphia. Read the rest of this entry »

This month’s feature is the Pocatello Model Railroad & Historical Society’s large NMRA HO modular layout located on the Union Pacific Railroad’s premises in Pocatello, Idaho.  The club’s history details various moves that have been possible because of the modular layout.

Club Name: Pocatello Model Railroad and Historical Society, a 501c3 non-profit.

Famous for:  Replica of the Oregon Shortline Roundhouse with 53 stalls set at 6 degree intervals around a 100 foot long turntable.
     Walk thru module published in Model Railroader magazine.  Website has details for the prototype Lift-Bridge Module or an alternative Swinging Door Module.

Address: Union Pacific uilding B-59 SouthWest, near intersection of Main and Bonneville, Pocatello, Idaho, USA

Website: http://www.ida.net/org/pmrhs/

Photo Album: Yes, both of modular layout and historic Pocatello. Read the rest of this entry »

The Eagle Rock Railroad Historical Society (“ERRHS”) in Idaho Falls Idaho held their annual Railshow 2007 on October 13-14, 2007.  The Great Basin Lego Train Club, the Rocky Mountain Hi-Railers and the Hostlers displayed operating layouts, along with the Eagle Rock’s permanent club layout in the basement.

Hostlers Model Railroad Club (“HMRRC”) from Ogden, Utah had their HO modular layout on display.  The Hostlers run NMRA compliant modules with 3 lines.  The outer line is DC and the two inner lines are DCC.

Hostlers wide radius corner modules. Read the rest of this entry »

The prolific UK layout builder, Ian Lampkin, models in a variety of scales, including N, HO and TT.  Several of Mr. Lampkin’s exhibition layouts are shown on the  Model Railways, South East England website along with other friends.  The N scale California Coast, is also known as the “Surf Line” has been exhibited almost 50 times in the past 8 years.  It is an American prototype, double track mainline located along the Pacific coast in Southern California.  The Surf Line is scheduled to be retired in the fall of 2007.   Passenger and freight trains operate over the oval layout measuring about 7.5 by 10.5 feet. Read the rest of this entry »

Horst Meier’s Sherman Hill layout is an excellent example of a creating a large, busy railroad in a small sectional space.  The layout is complete and exceptionally well done.  The photo backdrops are in the correct perspective and the backdrop and layout secenery colors match well as shown in Photo1 and Photo2. Read the rest of this entry »